The scale on a map is 7cm : 5km. If two cities are 56cm apart on the map, what is the actual distance in km between the two cities?
Answer: The scale means that every 7cm on the map corresponds to an actual distance of 5km. A distance of 56cm on the map is the same as 8 $\cdot$ 7cm. The actual distance between the two cities is 8 $\cdot$ 5km, or 40km.